Medina, Ohio, officials consider PUCO proposal for railroad upgrades

The Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio recently offered to pay, using grant funds, a portion of
Medina's share of an upcoming railroad upgrade project if the city agreed to
used any saved money to install new gates and signal lights at crossings on
Lafayette and Ryan roads, the Medina Sun reports.

"In theory, it is to give
us two additional gates and flashers without having to spend any additional
dollars," Medina Engineer Patrick Patton said.

In February, Medina entered
into an agreement with four other entities - the PUCO, the Ohio Rail
Development Commission, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, and
Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway- for railroad upgrade throughout the city.

The five entities will
combine to fund railroad surface upgrades at S. Prospect Street, Medina Street,
S. Huntington Street, S. Elmwood Street and W. Smith Road and also add gates
and flashing signals at several other crossings. Medina was slotted to pay
$773,348. The total combined cost of the project was approximately $2.08
million.

Construction on that
project will begin in the fall, Patton said.

PUCO would pay for the
installations at Medina Street and S. Elmwood using rail improvement funds to
pay Medina's portion. The funds are only available until June 30.

City officials must
determine if the addition of gates and flashers at Lafayette and Ryan would
cost more than the estimated amount that the PUCO offered to pay. In other
words, is it a deal for city or not?

"Financially, if it works
out, I think it's a good deal," Patton said.

Medina city council will
decide on the PUCO proposal at its June 14 meeting.

At the request of Medina
officials, the PUCO also conducted a study on the railroad crossing at Guilford
Boulevard.

"We had some concern about
safety there," Patton said.

The PUCO determined that,
due to the high amount of vehicle traffic, proximity to the city park and
pedestrian traffic near the crossing, Medina would need to install gates and
flashers at the crossing site.

The installations will cost
approximately $145,000, and Medina will pay an estimated $45,600 of that total.
WLE will pay 10 percent of the cost, approximately $14,500 and the PUCO will
fund the remaining amount, around $84,825.

"I appreciate you pursuing
that crossing," Ward 3 council representative Mark Kolesar said to Patton. "You've
heard me before, wanting to get gates at that crossing."